Public Company News

Estrella Resources has pulled in a hefty $5 million from a strategic investor who exercised a second option to buy 136.76 million shares at 3.65 cents per share and at a 500 per cent premium to the first conversion in September. The cash boost will be used to fund drilling exploration on the company's manganese and limestone prospects in Timor-Leste, where Estrella recently made some exciting discoveries.

Aurumin Limited and Brightstar Resources are in merger talks to combine their Sandstone assets into a consolidated 2.4-million-ounce gold project. The proposed scrip deal would give Aurumin shareholders Brightstar equity and is aimed at de-risking and fast-tracking development. While still subject to due diligence, the move could establish one of WA's most significant near-term gold projects in the Goldfields.

This week's Bulls N' Bears ASX Runners of the Week is… Ovanti Ltd, after the company scored a buy now, pay later maestro to guide its US expansion. Olympio unveiled visible gold in its first drill hole in Canada, Codeifai flew on a poorly kept takeover secret, and Sunrise unveiled high-grade scandium results at its NSW critical minerals project.

Aurum Resources has launched a 30,000-metre diamond drilling campaign at its 0.87-million-ounce Napié project, about 110 kilometres southeast of the company's flagship Boundiali project in Côte d'Ivoire. The two-rig program aims to expand the current Napié resource, drill other thinly tested targets and deliver an updated mineral resource estimate for the project by the end of the year.

Larvotto Resources has secured formal NSW government approval for its Hillgrove Mod 6 application, clearing the path for mining and processing at its gold-antimony project. The green light allows the company to press forward with final financing, infrastructure upgrades and a planned production start in 2026. The approval also supports key environmental initiatives, including the shift to dry-stacked tailings for more sustainable operations.

NeuroScientific Biopharmaceuticals has acquired unlisted Perth-based Isopogen for $5.1 million, gaining control of the company's stem cell therapy developed as a last-line treatment for severe autoimmune disease and transplant complications. The move puts NeuroScientific in line to compete in the regenerative space.

Terrain Minerals has cranked up the drill bit at its Smokebush project in Western Australia, extending its current reverse circulation drilling campaign in search of high-grade silver and gold at its Lightning and Monza prospects. The company has tacked on an extra 700m and three holes, expanding the program to a substantial 20 holes for 4300m. The expansion stems from keen field observations by Terrain on the ground.

Beetaloo Energy has secured crucial consent from Traditional Owners to sell appraisal gas from its Carpentaria gas project in the Northern Territory. The decision followed an on-country meeting organised by the Northern Land Council and paves the way for further development. The company says the agreement has highlighted its commitment to Indigenous partnerships and enables local communities to share in the region's growing economic opportunities.

Horizon Minerals has kicked off a 30,000m drilling campaign at its Burbanks gold project in WA's Goldfields. The campaign aims to upgrade confidence in the resource and expand high-grade zones to feed the company's refurbished Black Swan processing plant. With early hits of up to 45.4g/t gold and historic grades averaging 22.7g/t, Burbanks is shaping as a cornerstone for Horizon's standalone gold producer strategy.

Neometals, through its partnership with mining services heavyweight Mineral Resources, has inked an agreement with mining giant Rio Tinto to advance its patented lithium processing technology – the ELi process. The company's 70:30 joint venture Reed Advanced Materials has signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding with Rio subsidiary Livent USA to explore the commercialisation of its proprietary process to convert lithium feedstock into high-purity lithium hydroxide monohydrate.

Neometals has delivered a 250,000-tonne mineral resource estimate averaging 1.6g/t gold for mineralisation near historical underground workings at its Ironclad deposit in the company's Barrambie project near Sandstone. The inaugural inferred estimate of 13,000 ounces gold for Ironclad was completed to confirm historical non-JORC compliant estimates and is based mainly on shallow reverse circulation and rotary air blast holes drilled mostly to less than 75 metres deep.

GreenTech Metals' recent exploration target model for its Whundo massive sulphide base metals project points to a resource potential from 15 million tonnes to 23Mt, with between 0.9% and 1.4% copper. The model for the company's project, near Karratha in WA's Pilbara region, also indicates a zinc resource potential for the same tonnage within a grade range of 0.2% to 0.4% zinc.